Former prime ministers call on Canadians to ‘show the flag’ as Trump pushes trade war

OTTAWA — All of Canada’s living former prime minister’s are calling on Canadians to express their national pride and “show the flag” as U.S. President Donald Trump continues his threats against this country’s economic security and sovereignty.

Saturday, Feb. 15 — Flag Day — marks the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag.

In a joint statement, former prime ministers Joe Clark, Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper urge Canadians to fly the Maple Leaf with pride as “never before.”

“Let’s show the world that we are proud of our history and proud of our country,” the statement says.

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The former prime ministers say there has been a “surge” in Canadian pride and patriotism in the face of Trump’s tariff threats.

While Trump’s plans for sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports are on hold until at least March 4, the president signed executive orders Monday to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including Canadian products, starting March 12.

Trump also has said repeatedly he wants Canada to become a U.S. state and could use economic pressure to make that happen.

In their statement, the former prime ministers say Canadians have come together to “express their love” for the country and “their determination to defend Canada’s values and independence.”

“As former prime ministers of Canada, we applaud this national spirit,” the statement says. “The five of us come from different parties. We’ve had our share of battles in the past. But we all agree on one thing: Canada, the true north, strong and free, the best country in the world, is worth celebrating and fighting for.”

Clark and Campbell both represented the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, Chrétien and Martin the Liberals and Harper the Conservative Party of Canada.

Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge also asked Canadians to take part in Flag Day celebrations.

“This year, more than ever, not only do we have to celebrate our flag but also remind ourselves what it represents: our values, our resilience and our sovereignty,” St-Onge said in a news release Tuesday.

The minister said public displays of national pride have become more prominent in the face of “external economic pressures.”

“The growing sense of unity and national identity is an occasion to engage Canadians to mark the flag’s anniversary,” said St-Onge.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre posted a video to X on Tuesday asking Canadians to “raise the flag.”

Poilievre said that with the threat of “tariffs and other insults,” Canadians are uniting like never before. He encouraged all Canadians to get a flag, put it on a flagpole and “show our colours.”

“We’re very proud of this country, we’ll never be the 51st state, we will always be a strong, self-reliant, sovereign country, so let’s show that message by raising the flag,” Poilievre said.

In a post on X Tuesday, Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney said it’s great to see the “show of unity and leadership” from former prime ministers, adding that “Canada is so much bigger than our politics.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press